'Barm Poultry. 
75 
cooked on a gridiron, when the bright yellow skin of the Plymouth 
Rock is not objectionable. At present the fashion in fancy 
poultry has tended in favour of a handsomely feathered breed, 
termed Wyandottes, and the Pljanouth Rocks are going out 
of fashion. As Wyandottes have been reared exclusively for 
feather marking, they are, as might be expected, destitute of any 
merit as market fowls. 
It may be asked what course should be recommended to a 
small farmer, who has a stock of fowls and wishes to improve 
them, with the view of producing good birds for the table. In 
many cases it would not be desirable to dispose of present stock 
and buy an entirely new one. The plan would be expensive, to 
commence with, and there might be a difficulty at the present 
time in getting really good birds for useful purposes. Birds 
that are now advertised and sold are in nine cases out of 
ten fancy birds, that have not been bred with any idea of 
their economical value. I should be disposed to recommend 
a small proprietor to carefully look over his stock ; to get rid 
of all the small, weakly, undersized birds ; to allow no pet fowls 
to remain, only those that are really the best of the stock ; 
and then, getting rid of all male birds, to place in his yard a 
good close-feathered, short-legged Dorking or Surrey cock. 
At the end of the year this bird should be at once got rid of — 
killed and eaten, if it cannot be sold. The following year the 
best of the large pullets only should be allowed to remain. The 
cross-breed cockerels having been disposed of, a good heavy, 
short-legged, Indian or old-fashioned English game, should be 
obtained as the stock-bird for the season. Each year in succes- 
sion a new stock-bird should be got, either Dorking, English, or 
Indian game. For it is the constant interbreeding which takes 
place in most farmyards that leads to the great deterioration of 
the size, condition, and constitution of the poultry. 
As none of the half-bred cocks are to be kept, it is desirable 
to sell them as early as possible. They realise more money when 
young, and should be prepared for the table or market at once. 
The best mode of doing this, although it is not always in the 
power of the small farmer, is to take the cockerels away be- 
fore they attain maturity, as soon as the combs begin to shoot 
and before the curved tail feathers can be seen. If they can be 
placed together in a run far removed from any hens, they will 
grow into large size without losing quality as table fowl : 
whereas, if they are allowed to run with the other fowls, they 
are continually chasing them and quarrelling among themselves. 
They cease to gain in weight and lose very much in condition, 
the flesh becoming hard. But this separation of the sexes in 
